What to plant in February

The days are getting (slightly) longer and it’s time to start sowing seeds for this years harvest.

Good to grow now are:

Chitting early varieties of seed potatoes can start towards the end of the month. Place seed potatoes in a light, cool but frost-free place at about 10C. It helps to produce earlier and slightly larger crops of the earlier spring varieties of potato.

In the greenhouse/indoors you can start sowing

Peas in upcycled guttering with drainage holes drilled in the bottom.

Cucumber, tomato, chilli and sweet peppers as well as aubergine seeds for indoor crops in the summer.

Summer cabbage and cauliflowers, spinach, leeks, hardy peas, salad onions, celeriac, celery, carrots and turnips can be sown indoors for early crops.

Basil can also be grown on a windowsill.

In coldframes/cloches you can sow:

Sow beetroot under cover.

Sow early carrot varieties, such as ‘Nantes 2’, under cloches or in greenhouse borders.

Grow chicory under cloches, for early summer harvesting.

Sow radish seeds now under cloches or in greenhouse borders.

Grow some salad leaves, lettuce or spinach indoors or under cloches for a tasty and nutritious start to the growing season.

Sow seeds of spring onions under cloches, in greenhouse borders or in cold frames. ‘Ishikura’ and ‘Summer Isle’ are good early varieties.

Broad beans can be planted in pots in mild areas, placing them in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.

Direct sow outdoors

Jerusalem artichoke tubers.

You can still plant bare-root fruit trees and fruit bushes, as long as the soil isn’t frozen.

Plant bare-root strawberry plants outside now. Replace plants that are 3 years old or more, as they will have lost much of their vigour.

 Plant stone fruit trees such as apricots, peaches and nectarines.

Plant rhubarb crowns in a sunny position in well drained soil.

February is also a good time to prune apples, pears, quinces, medlars, currants and gooseberries as well as autumn raspberries.